Uplift
by TigressKama
Summary: Anne is a kittypet. Her owner Amrita can talk to her. No big right? Well, so figures out it might be, because not all cats are intelligent. When she and her housefolk move to the lake they find the clans. And they decide that Anne's species isn't going out into the world clueless. It's time the humans played a larger part in this play.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Okay so… I really shouldn't be starting another story because people are still waiting for an update that's, like, more than six months late, but I was reading Warriors fiction on several different sites and I realized something. Not a single person who wrote for Warriors made anything about the cats learning about humans, or badgers, or dogs, or advancing. Not one that isn't crack anyway. And it pissed me off! There are some** _ **really**_ **creative people here. How am I the only one to do this?**

 _ **Warning: This story will deal with some heavy subjects such as slavery, views on religion and afterlife, religion vs. science, sexuality, and interspecies romance. This is in M for a reason.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series.**_

"Anne! Breakfast!" The call woke me from my dream, the tall podium and flashing camera lights fading away… I blinked blearily, still not all there, before a yawn ripped from my mouth. That woke me up, and I stood, stretching my back and feeling it pop in a few places before I set off for the kitchen.

My paws pattered against the wood floors and I caught the scent of cooking beef. Making my way into the kitchen, I hopped onto the table and waited at the plate already waiting for me. A tortilla sat on it, and my owner, Amrita Hayward, hummed at me in greeting, stuffing another bite of her burrito into her mouth. The juice from the meat dripped onto her green pajama top and she drowsily wiped it off.

I looked around the room, trying to see if anyone else had woken up. The wood floor was worn as usual, and the table wasn't in a much better state. The walls were painted a dark blue, an attempt to hide the water damage from any guests the family may have. The washer and dryer in the back of the room near the back door had piles of dry clothes on them, to be folded and put away later. Not a single other human besides Amrita and one of her fathers was awake.

Her father, a tall white man who I'd been told was in his early forties that had black hair and brown eyes, glanced at me from the stove, gesturing to the food, and I meowed "Eggs, beef, salsa and cheese please!" I struggled to make the words correctly, and he looked to my owner in confusion. I winced, knowing I'd butchered it.

"She said she wants beef, eggs, cheese, and salsa." She said. Her father nodded and came over, grabbing my plate. He scooped the contents onto the tortilla and rolled it up, bringing it back to me.

"Good morning." He said, smiling, before heading back and fixing his own plate along with a cup of instant coffee that he left on the counter, before sitting down and eating his own food.

"Thank you! And good morning to you too." I said. Struggling to get the words to form with my barbed tongue I hoped I hadn't butchered it too bad this time. I'd been trying to learn one of the human languages, English. While I could read fluently I couldn't speak very well because of my barbed tongue, and the way my throat was. Greeting were one of the few things I could get. My owner turned to me, swallowing her food.

"Your pronunciation needs a little work but otherwise that was good. Try to curl your tongue more." She said. I nodded and turned back to my food. The lack of their second father getting up became apparent. He was usually the first up.

"Where's your other father?" I asked. Amrita glanced up from her food before taking a bite.

"He's at work. He's working days now, remember?" She said. I nodded my head. I lowered my head and began to eat, licking my muzzle to keep it clean. From the hallway of the small house I could hear the rest of the humans begin to get up. They shuffled into the kitchen slowly, rubbing their eyes and popping their necks.

My owner's older brother, Theo, a tan boy of 16 with dark blonde hair and dark brown eyes began making his breakfast burrito while her younger sister Georgette, a white girl of 14 years with blonde hair and blue eyes, moved to the fridge for a piece of fruit. Then the eldest brother Ziron, a white boy of 18 with black hair and dark blue eyes, came in, already on his 3DS. Her mother, a white woman of 40 with black short hair and blue eyes, came in last, grabbing a cup of coffee already made for her and leaning against the counter. She took a large drink, pausing for a few seconds before opening her eyes and taking a deep breath.

Smiling, she began speaking in that chipper way of hers. "Sooo, before I go back to sleep I'm telling you we're moving at the end of the week! Eugene left us a home in his will!" Georgette coughed on the fruit she was chewing and Theo froze. Ziron paused his game and put it down on the washer before looking at her, arms crossed. Amrita set her burrito down and pushed her plate away.

"What?" I turned to my owner, concerned.

She looked down at me, her head resting on clasped fingers. "You know how Uncle Eugene died last month?" She asked. I nodded my head.

"Yeah. You guys said he died from something called a heart attack." I said. She nodded.

"Well, apparently he gave us his house in his will. You know, the riding stables? Of course, that means we're moving out. We're going there at the end of the week." She said.

"I got that." I began. "But why is everyone so upset about it?"

She brushed her black hair behind her ear, moving her brown hand to rest on my back. While she rubbed my back she explained.

"You remember that we're all psychic right?" She asked. I nodded.

"You can talk to animals, your mom can see the future, Theo can see ghosts, Georgette can make things grow, and Ziron can talk to technology. Really, your two fathers are the only ones who aren't psychic, but they do come from psychic backgrounds." I said. My eyes closed as she dug her fingers into my spine and I arched into her palm. Oh that was nice… A screech from Georgette promptly ruined any relaxation I had.

"Are you kidding me? Do you know how long it took me to grow those trees? How long it took me to clear the grass out back?!" She screamed. Amrita sighed and Georgette glared at her. "And you can shut up Dr. Doolittle!"

"Yes, well, even though this house is falling apart it's still our home. Georgette has her garden in the back, Ziron is the head of the technology club at school, even though this was his last year there, Theo is friends with the ghost of that one kid who was murdered on Amity Road forever ago, and I have you and the animals in the park." She continued. I frowned as the arguing quieted down. The kids had accepted they were moving. Stretching, I moved away from her and pushed my plate to her. She picked it up and put it in the sink, cle3aring off her own plate before leaving the room. "I'm going to the park, Ma!" She called back as she headed to the front door.

"You are not going anywhere in your night clothes! Change into something at least half way decent before you leave the house. And don't forget your phone!" Her mother called back. Chuckling, I hopped onto the arm of the brown couch next to the door and turned to face her.

"Well? Go get your stuff and change! Oh, and don't forget the books! Cesar and I have been reading Plague by Michael Grant and we'd like to finish it please!" I said. She sighed, running her hand through her birds nest hair before going off to her room.

"Fine!" She said. "I'll bring some more basket materials too. You and Lady have been going gaga over crafting since I introduced it. And pick out a collar! I don't care which color." I nodded and hopped off the couch, heading to the wall where my collars and leashes were hung just low enough so I could reach them.

"And brush your hair!" Her mother called from the kitchen.

"Okay Mom!"

-Line Break-

We walked through the city, weaving around people and animals, benches and spark trees. The tall buildings rose high above us, shining in the morning sun. Chatter from the twolegs filled the air as they went on their way to wherever they wished. The smells of unlimited amounts of prey tickled my nose. How had the human race gotten this far?

Well, I knew how. I'd watched Mankind on the History channel so many times that Amrita could almost tell me every line word for word. They were everything they wanted to be. If they weren't, they became it. Warriors, inventors, predators, and anything else they chose. Of course, opposable thumbs helped too. The real question was would my species ever be able to get this far? My throat tightened and a spark of sadness pierced my heart, tightening my chest.

I shook myself and continued walking, my leash rubbing against my yellow collar every once and a while making the tags jingle. I already knew the answer to that question, and it was no. The entirety of the human race was intelligent, even if Amrita said that was debatable, unlike mine. The majority of other cats I had talked to in cities besides this one were just animals.

They didn't think, didn't wonder. They just responded to instinct like birds and mice. Heck, a lot of the cats in this town weren't either. At least, they weren't in the shelter where the Hayward family picked me up. Where Amrita bought me. Cats like myself came in small numbers. Around thirty to a city, if I was lucky. Around thirty or none at all anyway…

Luckily, my town was one of the ones that had the thirty. The cats who could talk were fine, mostly. They didn't really… _do_ anything. I mean, they didn't learn anything. Besides opening a door anyway. What I really mean is they never wondered. They never looked at something and thought, "What is it?" And if they did that thought usually ended in, "Well, it's not my problem. It's the housefolk's."

One I knew did occasionally wonder though. A friend of mine, a white Persian by the name of Lady, attested to this. She'd sometimes drop by when Cesar and I were having our lessons in the park, ask a few questions and leave. Sometimes she'd participate in an activity if it caught her interest, but nothing more than that. Really, it was a miracle that she'd stayed as long as she did for the baskets and doll making. She'd been coming by for a week, but I'm was pretty sure she'd leave for a month after she lost interest.

No, she was content to laze away with her house folk, growing fat on canned fish and staying warm on welcoming laps…

"Anne." The voice caught my attention and I jumped, realizing that my claws were unsheathed. Putting them back where they belonged, I then looked up to Amrita. She tilted her head to the park entrance, a large stone arch separating the warm concrete from the cool grass. A few people were taking early morning jogs, and a few others were walking their dogs. "We're here. Let's find Cesar and begin class."

I nodded my head as we walked in, and Amrita knelt down to undo my purple leash. I stretched, and went on my way. Amrita went off to set up in our usual spot by the artificial stream, as was the routine.

I walked through the groves of trees, straying off the path pretty early on. Cesar lived in a burrow under a large oak tree pretty far into the park. We'd all worked together to make it when he lost his other home about three years ago. Shuddering at the thought of humans bursting into my home I shook the thought from my mind. Cesar didn't have to worry about the pound anymore. He was good with the humans now. The way eventually got darker from the shade of the trees, it being summer and all, and I spotted Cesar's home.

The large oak tree was leaning so far to the ground that some of its branches where touching it, but it still stood. Lush green leaves covered the branches, and from the roots I could see the burrow. It used to be a small thing, barely enough space for Cesar when we made it, but he'd gradually made it bigger. It could fit me, him, and Lady now. Along with his pups of course.

I padded over to the sloped entrance and peered inside, brushing aside the hanging moss that had grown into a canopy. Sunlight poured into the burrow from a hole in the tree high above the ground portion. Amrita had drilled it in when Cesar had complained about not being able to read in bed in the early mornings. She then had to add a shield to keep water out when it rained and he complained about _that_.

A pile of books, covered in simple brown cloth to keep moisture out, took up half the burrow and the cool ground was covered with a thick purple comforter. Several tightly weaved baskets were in the far back, holding different herb bundles. A dead squirrel, probably from the previous night, laid on the ground near me and I sniffed in distaste. If he was going to keep leftovers he should at least bury them. It was summer, the heat was not gonna help keep it fresh. Looking to the back of the burrow, I saw the comforter rising and falling slowly. He was still asleep! The rising of all the little bodies made me grin though.

Padding gently into the warm space I made sure to remain as quiet as possible. A giggle reared up but I forced it down and padded the nearest lump. It yipped and I purred at it gently. With a shake a tiny head peered out from under the comforter. It smiled, a small pink tongue lolling out, and I smiled back.

"Hey, Whistle, wanna help me wake your siblings so we can jump on your dad?" I growled. The small poodle puppy perked up and nodded, moving back under the cover and rousing his siblings from sleep. While human languages were hard dog wasn't. Cesar being the only other person willing to talk to me besides Amrita when I was younger ensured I learned quickly.

Whistle's head popped up from under the cover along with his seven siblings. All of them were from different mothers. German shepherds, Rottweilers, French poodles, seven mothers for seven puppies. They grinned, showing off their tiny white fangs, and I smiled back. Leaning close to them I whispered, "Okay. On the count of three we're going to jump on your dad to wake him up. He's late for breakfast and class."

They scurried out from under the blanket and got behind me. I lowered myself into a crouch and the pups copied me. I stalked forward, exaggerating the way I moved and a pup, Leo the German shepherd, giggled before she was shushed. I stopped just in front of Cesar. "One… Two… Three!"

We all jumped onto the Rottweiler at once and he yelped in surprise, turning from off his back to get to his feet.

"What the- Hey! What do you think you're doing? Get off!" He shouted, rolling over and shaking to try to get us off. I had wrapped myself around the back of his neck and his pups jumped back onto him every time they fell off.

"No can do you giant! You, good dog, have made us all late. Do you, or do you not, want your kids to learn to read?" I teased. He crawled out of the den on his belly, all of us still clinging to him.

"FuuuuUUUUU!"

"Stupid Balinese turning my own kin against me. Waking me up early in the morning." César continued his complaining as he cleaned up the burrow. I flicked my tail when he glanced at me and he bared his teeth.

"Oh my, so scary! Marcus, save me from your dad! He's gonna eat me!" I shouted. The Rottweiler puppy jumped in front of me and growled low in his throat.

"I won't let you eat Aunt Anne!" He squeaked. I swear these puppies are so cute. Just… so cute. Cesar turned his snout up and looked down at Marcus before snorting and turning his head. He finished folding up the comforter, nudging it over to the corner of the room with his nose.

"With a strong dog like that protecting you Anne you're not worth the effort. I'll find someone else to eat. Like… Jess!" Cesar jumped on the pit bull puppy and threw her into the air. A startled bark left her jaw before Cesar gently caught her and set her down. All of the pups gathered around him and started pawing at him, running around and under his legs to trip him up.

I interrupted before they could get too excited. "Okay everyone, that's enough. We're already late for class. Let's get a move on!" I said, nudging another pit bull mix, Donovan, away from the group.

"Awwww!"

"Do we have to?"

"But I wanna play more!"

"To bad, so sad, now we gotta leave." Cesar yawned. He stretched his body and shook his head before taking off down the route we took to the stream. "Race ya there!" He shouted back.

Jumping over a large hill, we rushed down to the stream on the other side. Sunlight poured over the grassy area and I was careful not to get caught in the mud.

Amrita was waiting on us, a few picnic blankets spread out to keep us dry and comfortable. Her computer was open, a video paused on the screen, on the far left corner of the blanket. Basket and paint supplies were on the far right corner and near the middle was a pile of meat. Caesar's and the pups breakfast probably. To the bottom right were a few children's books for the pups. Learning to read was essential when you lived in a human's world. Her green backpack was the only other thing there, right beside her in the middle.

"Hey guys." She said. "Hope you're ready to pick up where we left off. Do you remember where Caesar?" Caesar walked over to the meat and sat down heavily. It seemed to disappear down his throat and he belched.

"Breakfast first Ami. I'm starving. Could eat another dog right now…" He mumbled. I rolled my eyes good naturedly and went over to the supplies. Hopefully Lady would show up and help me, but I'd be fine if she didn't.

"Mamma!" The pups had finally caught up with us and were jumping on Amrita's lap. Because Cesar took all the sapient puppies away from their mothers shortly after they were born they didn't really have a mother figure. Amrita ended up being that figure because she was there for them and nursed them with bottles. Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Cesar was very close to her, treated her like a mate. Even though he knew it'd never happen.

Shaking the memories from my head, I paid more attention to what I was doing. Didn't want to screw up this time. My previous attempts to weave had left the supplies I used frayed and useless but I figured out what I'd been doing wrong. Cat paws weren't as dexterous as human hands, but that didn't mean I couldn't move my toes individually. It was just more time consuming and I had to use my claws to grab anything.

Choosing purple willow stalks this time, I set to work. My claws wouldn't be able to shred this as easily as the reed I'd used before, but it'd be harder to use. Rooting through the pile I found eight thick shoots. I lined them all up to see their lengths. Now came one of the hard parts.

I took a ruler out of the pile and laid it up against the shoots. I'd need to cut thirty centimeters so I could make a base. Once I found the length I held each shoot down with one paw and made a small scratch in it so I could see where I needed to cut. I took one reed and went to get the scissors. The children's scissors were easiest for me to use because of the long part they had. An orange pair sat to the side and I grabbed it.

Putting the reed in between the blades of the scissors, I tried to line the mark I made up with the blade. I couldn't exactly hold the blade so I had to stand it up against the ground instead. Once I lined the mark up I stood the scissors up on its side. I placed one of my paws on the long side of the scissors the side I kept on the ground, and the other on the small side. I pushed the small side down and the reed was cut, right where I wanted it to be.

I sighed in relief. It had taken me weeks just to get that down! The amount of times the cut had been slanted or in the wrong spot because I couldn't keep my paws steady… I shook myself and began to cut the rest of the reeds. In the background I could hear Amrita talking to Caesar, the video belting out a calm theme song. Cosmos, I realized. We weren't studying astronomy the day before yesterday though. Why was she? Oh.

We were leaving soon. Right. She was probably trying to soften the blow by putting up his favorite subject. I glanced over to them and saw Amrita whispering quietly, holding Cesar's face in her hands. The pups had all gathered on her lap. Cesar was whining, crying the only way a dog could.

"Now listen to me Cesar. Don't let anyone take your pack. You protect them and you stay away from people. You know how to grow medicine so you won't have to worry about sickness. Go to the country if your pack gets big enough. Find me if you absolutely need to. All you need to do is follow Hare Hill road until you find the stables. And for the love of everything Cesar teach your kids. Teach them everything because I won't be here to. Don't let your species become a dead end." She murmured soothingly.

"Okay…" Cesar yelped as best he could in English. "Okay!"

"Now let's get on with this lesson. Figured you should learn a little more about astronomy. And I was hoping we could review how to tell direction from star position before I leave the park."

I turned my head away, having had enough of the scene. Behind me, among the pups' cries, I heard a whispered confession. I brought the blades of the scissors down.

 **AN: And that's all she wrote. For a first chapter anyway. So, to review, because I put a lot of info.**

 **Anne: A Balinese cat who can speak limited English and can read. Is the pet of Amrita Hayward.**

 **Amrita: Twoleg that can speak to animals. Anne's owner and the one who taught her. 15 years old.**

 **Georgette: Amrita's younger twoleg sister who can grow plants. 14 years old.**

 **Ziron: Amrita's older twoleg brother who can speak to tech. 18 years old.**

 **Theo: Amrita's older twoleg brother who can see spirits. 16 years old.**

 **Caesar: A Rottweiler dog with seven pups. Best friend of Anne. Treats Amrita like a mate.**

 **Lady: A Persian who is friends with Anna. Occasionally joins her lessons.**

 **Mother: Twoleg mother of Amrita, Theo, Ziron, and Georgette. In a polyamorous relationship.**

 **Intelligence is a recessive trait in dogs and cats. Only 1 animal is born sapient in a litter. There are around thirty or less sapient animals of a species per city.**

 **That… looks to be everything. Okay, now that this chapter is posted I want to see everyone's reactions. Drop a review and tell me what you think. And if you have an idea of something that should be covered leave it in the reviews. I'll see if I can drop it in. If you like this story try and write one of your own.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Response has been positive so far. We'll see how long that lasts. Also, I think I'm going to set the story somewhere in America. Mainly because I don't know anything about Britain and because there are mountain lions in America.**

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors or Accidental Love (The little quote that Anne is reading.)._

 _Thoughts_

 _ **Anne's POV**_

" _I explained I'm against violence. And why's that you may ask?" Marissa remembered very clearly._

" _Because you usually get beat up."_

"Are you seriously reading that book again?"

The voice startled me and I jumped, the book flying from my claws. It landed on the ground with a dull thump. I looked down from my perch in the thick apple tree, wincing when I saw how it landed. The pages of the little red book slumped onto the dirt, bent out of shape. _That was my favorite book…_ Anger over took me, my fur standing on end. _That was my only copy!_

"Lady!" I yowled. The she cat lazily flicked her fluffy tail and turned to the book.

"I guess you won't be reading it anymore." She drawled. A growl grew in my throat and she huffed. Wrapping her tail around her paws snootily, she flicked the book onto its back with her paw. "How did you even get up there? That tree is huge. Are apple trees even supposed to be that big?" She asked.

"Amrita's sister Georgette can make things grow remember? The trees tend to have thicker trunks and branches when she grows them."

I then pointed at the little stand and pulley next to me. Lady snorted. "Of course. More housefolk… things." I rolled my eyes and kicked the stand over the edge of the tree. With no weight to pull it down it stayed in place. I hopped onto it and it lowered me down, little clicking noises following me on my descent.

Lady watched me, still looking as bored as ever. I honestly couldn't understand her sometimes. She seemed to have two modes, apathetic and angry. If she wasn't throwing a fit she was looking bored and drooling sarcasm. As the pulley landed on the ground I wrapped it around one of the exposed roots of the tree, keeping it in place. Didn't want to lose my only way up.

I turned to my friend, sitting in front of her. "What do you want Lady? You never come here unless you want something." My ear flicked in annoyance. "Usually my food. Did you just come here for food again? If you'd come a bit later I'd give you some, but it's not lunch time yet."

She stayed silent for a moment, her pelt fluffing up a bit before she looked away nervously. She cleared her throat with an awkward sounding cough. "Caesar said you were all leaving. Is that true?" I nodded.

"Yeah. We're all moving to a house that Amrita's uncle used to live in. It's a ways down Hare Hill road."

"Exactly how far is 'a ways' Anne? A day's journey? Two? Seventy? From what I learned Hare Hill road goes on for a long time." The venom in her voice startled me. I shifted back a bit, too many years of dealing with strays making me wary.

"What's up with you?" I asked. Her pelt fluffed up and she bared her teeth.

"What's up with me?!" She hissed. "What's up with me? What's up with me is that you didn't think to say goodbye!" Her claws slid into the ground and she tore at the dirt. I backed away a bit in case she decided to attack me.

"I didn't think you'd care." I replied. "You're very apathetic about a lot of things Lady. I just figured this would be one of those things." I sat down slowly, making my fur lie flat. I knew she wouldn't attack me if my fur was raising but old habits die hard.

"Of course I'm not apathetic about this! You're the only cat in this whole Twoleg Place that's social! I know I don't come by often, and even then it's to eat your food or learn some useless craft to make pretty things, but I thought we were friends!" She yowled.

"We are friends. But you're hardly around so I thought you wouldn't care." I kept my voice calm and measured, cold and logical. Hopefully she'd calm down. She hissed at me sharply but didn't argue. She seemed to calm a bit, shrinking down into herself and her ears folding back.

"Well, you're staying!" She commanded. My lips pulled down revealing my fangs.

"You know I can't do that. I have to stay with Amrita and her family." Betrayal shined in her eyes and I sighed internally. What, did she expect me to orchestrate my life around her? Lady hissed quietly and sat down. Her pelt puffed up and she pushed her chest out. Her head was held out high in the way all purebreds were taught by the twolegs.

"Yes. You are." She said firmly. A hiss built up in my throat but I sighed in frustration instead. It came out a strange mixture of the two and I flicked my tail in annoyance.

"No, Lady. I'm not. My life doesn't revolve around you. I'm going to move and that's final." My tone brooked no argument. Her legs tensed and she lunged at me with her teeth bared and her trimmed claws extended. Before she launched into the air I was already moving.

Moving my face out of the way, she landed to my right. Her fur brushed my face as she passed. I stood and scurried away. Turning to face her I saw that she was leaping at me again. And yet again I dodged her, moving past her to the tree. I released the pulley and held on with my claws as it took me into the air.

"Get down here!" She screeched. I settled down to watch her as she tried to climb the tree to get to me. Her claws, dulled from their trimmings, held onto nothing and she slid down.

"Not until you calm down." I called back. A vicious yowl was my answer. I sighed. Lady was always a bit of a brat but I thought we were past this kind of behavior. "You're acting like a child, Lady."

"And you're acting like a twoleg!" She viciously spat at me. I shrugged. It wasn't the first time she'd accused me of acting like a human. The insult rolled off like water off a duck's back. I pulled an apple off the branch next to me and bit into it waiting in the tree for her to calm down.

Of course this was Lady, so she wouldn't do that.

It was quiet a little bit later so I peered down. Lady sat by the roots of the tree with her back turned and shoulders shaking. Her pelt laid flat against her body but her tail swayed side to side in anger.

"Lady?" I questioned. She shook her head and her ears laid back. "Look, if it makes you feel any better I should have taken your feelings into account more. It was stupid of me to think you'd be apathetic." Lady glared daggers up into the tree.

"Yes. It was stupid." She hissed. She stood up and shook out her fur, trotting elegantly away from the tree.

"Lady." I called out. She ignored me. "Lady come on." I jumped onto the pulley and secured it to the root after I was down. I reached her just as she jumped onto the yard fence. Her head was held high and her white fur shined in the sunlight. "Do you really want to end our relationship like this?" I asked. Her tail thrashed back and forth and she stared me down. My fur raised and I again forced it down.

"Stay." She commanded.

"No."

"Then I do want to end it like this." She jumped off the fence. I jumped onto it to continue talking with her. She was dramatic. This wasn't the first time this had happened. But as I looked out over the yards and alleys I couldn't find her. She was gone.

I sighed. Usually when this happened I'd give her a few days to calm down. I'd go to her, give an apology for whatever I'd supposedly done, and that'd be the end of it. At least until she threw another one.

But now that I was moving I wouldn't be able to make up with her. We'd be ending on bad terms. I shook myself out and headed back to the tree. Picking up my book, I dusted off the pages with my tail. I suppose I should've seen this coming.

 **Amrita's POV**

Caesar's breathing tickled the skin on my neck and his body weight was putting my arm to sleep. The kids laid on my chest under the comforter. One of them, most likely Donovan, yipped. Probably having that dream where he chased mice in circles while Jeopardy played in the background again. The thought briefly crossed my mind to ask him how he knew about Jeopardy in the first place, but then I realized Anne probably told them. She loved anything that was even remotely educational.

Jess whined and her paws flinched. I laid my hand on her small back and gently scratched her spine. She had frequent nightmares. About what she wouldn't tell me.

"Shhh. It's okay J. Nothing's gonna get you." I murmured soothingly. Her whines quieted to murmurs and then to quiet. I lifted the comforter slightly, watching my children sleep. Donovan, Jess, and Artus were curled up into tight balls on my stomach. Marcus was laid over my ribs. His body draped over onto his father's. Whistle's fluffy fur puffed up from over my leg. Leo laid next to him, and she pawed at his shoulder.

"Move over bone breath…" She mumbled. Whistle shifted to the side a bit and they were quiet again. Terral yipped by my feet. Unlike her sister she only ever had good dreams. A smiled pulled at the corners of my mouth and a small chuckled escaped my lips. I felt tears fill my eyes.

"Move over guys. Need to get away for a bit." The puppies shifted off of me one by one until they laid in a pile by Caesar's back. Marcus drowsily opened his eyes.

"Come back soon mama." He yawned. I pet his head and lifted the comforter fully off me. I needed a little time alone and I didn't want to worry them.

Quietly I moved away from the group. The farther away I was from them the better. If I started bawling when I was near them then the pups would get worried and then Caesar and I'd have to calm them down. The move was going to be hard enough without adding extra drama.

The trees by the artificial river were small, probably on purpose to let the joggers enjoy the view. Sunlight shone throughout the park and the air was warm. I felt hopelessly cold. Pulling my phone out of my pocket again and brought up the text messages.

 _Hey mom cn I bring Cesar & the pups wth us? The new place has space rght?_

 _No._

 _Why nt?_

 _I honestly don't want you around that dog anymore._

 _Your behavior around him is kind of worrying._

 _What abt just the kids then? Cesar relies on the food I bring for hmslf._

 _Any food he hnts is for the kids._

 _I cld at lst take the strain off hm._

 _We're not doing that either._

 _Because I don't want you around them either._

 _Whts so bd abt the kids?_

 _The fact that you see them as your kids._

 _No. Final answer._

I'd texted her when I was setting up for class when she told us the news. It was pointless to argue with her when she decided something. She'd stick to her guns even if she was wrong. Of course she did have the right to be worried. On top of being my mother she wasn't wrong.

 _Maybe this is for the best._ The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it. I shook my head to clear it and sat down. Guilt flooded me and a lump filled my throat. _What the hell am I thinking?! Of course this isn't for the best! They need me!_

I paused. They did need me, there was no arguing that. Caesar hunted for the pups. Any food he got went to them until they learned to hunt and scavenge themselves. All of them relied on me for knowledge that'd put them ahead of the game when it came to advancing. But all of this was temporary.

The kids would learn to hunt. The pack would eventually get bigger and the knowledge would be passed on. After that what use would I be? Why else did they need me?

The evening sun passed overhead as I thought. Joggers went passed, a few of them glancing at me before going on their way. Probably thought I was trying to drill a hole in the ground with my eyes. A nudge to my shoulder broke my train of thought and I turned. Caesar stood behind me with a sad smile on his face. He licked my cheek before plopping down by my side, bringing his paws under him.

"You okay now?" He asked. The thought of lying crossed my mind but I discarded it. He'd realize I was lying before the words were out of my mouth.

"Not really." I murmured. I kept my voice down to a whisper so the other park members wouldn't hear. Lots of people talked to their pets, but none had full conversations with them. He laid his head on my knee and I absently pet his head. "Where are the kids?"

"I sent them back to the den to practice their reading. Whistle and Terral are getting really good. They've moved up from the children's books onto basic chapter books." I nodded my head. I could talk about the kids instead of my problems. No, that wouldn't solve anything. A sigh escaped my lips.

"Caesar?" I questioned.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you guys need me? I mean, besides the obvious stuff I'm doing right now there's nothing you need me for." He seemed to falter at the question before he stood up and walked away sweeping his tail to ask me to follow. I followed him as he led me deeper into the park, far from the other park goers. He stopped in a small field of grass and I sat down. He sat in front of me and took a deep breath.

"You already know why we need you Amrita. I mean…. Do I really need to spell it out? The pups call you mom for fucks sake!" He said tiredly. I reeled away a little bit. So it came back to this…

"Caesar." I warned. He ducked his head.

"I know. I know we can't… I just…" A whine forced through his throat and he laid down. His paws rubbed along his head and I reached forward to scratch the base of his ears. "This is so fucked up." The words were muffled by the dirt and grass.

I wanted to comfort him, say it wasn't, but that was a lie. It was very fucked up. There really wasn't anything I could do to help him. He wanted to be my mate and I couldn't give that to him. It wasn't that I didn't want to. I did. But there were some very serious consequences that I couldn't deal with.

Caesar was three years old. That made him twenty eight in dog years. When this… issue first came up he was a year old and he'd said he wanted to be with me for the rest of his life. From the fact that he's stuck around since then when he easily could've left told me that he wasn't lying. I was fourteen at the time. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. I'm still not.

"Could be worse." I said somberly. He chuckled darkly and his teeth shined in the sun. A growl rumbled deep in his throat.

"Yeah. It could." He sat up and shook the dust from his pelt. "The pups and I could be in a lab somewhere. We could be hacked up into tiny pieces and experimented on so your scientists can figure out what makes us tick." He bumped his head against my collarbone. "If you did decide to be with me you'd be charged with animal cruelty, get a fine, and have to get counseling. Then there's the social results. But damn it Ami what are we doing? What are you doing? Playing house with me like we're actually together. Acting like we actually have a chance together." I exhaled sharply, frustrated, and hugged him close to me.

"I'm not playing. I help you raise the kids don't I? Even if they won't need me much longer. And while the situation isn't… ideal that'll change with time. Hopefully anyway. It just won't be in either of our lifetimes." He pulled away and nuzzled my face.

"Amrita I love you. You know that right?"

"I'd have to be really thick not to know, what with the way you'd spout it left and right when you decided to tell me." He pulled away sharply staring me dead in the eyes. I smiled mischievously.

"Okay that's not fair." He huffed out.

"Not fair? What's not fair was how bad you were at being romantic." He got up and padded away from me quickly. I stood up and followed him.

"I'm not listening to this."

"You were horrid! 'Iiee ruv roo oumri haawur! Iiee ruv roo!' I couldn't understand you at all! Do you know how surreal that was for me; someone with the ability to understand?" I teased. He stopped and turned around to return my grin tenfold.

"You know what was cute though? That little squeak you made when you realized what I was saying. Now that was adorable!" He teased right back and I felt my face warm.

"Ah, but that was only after you decided to shove your tongue down my throat. After you'd just eaten rat."

"Okay that was rash of me, but you loved it."

"There was raw _rat_ in my _mouth_!"

Chuckles built up before he collapsed laughing. I followed soon after. Our bodies shook with the force of our laughs and eventually my stomach began to hurt. Caesar crawled over to me and laid over my legs. His tail wagged furiously behind him and for some reason that made me laugh more. After a while we calmed down. It was quiet for a little bit as we caught our breath.

Caesar cleared his throat. "I ruv you Amrita Hayward." He said in English. "Is that better?" I nodded my agreement.

"Yeah. But you still need to work on your L sounds."

"It's always something!" He huffed out playfully. I laughed again and hugged him close to me. He relaxed against my chest and put his head over mine. The tension that'd been in my limbs since the announcement of the move began to ebb out. "Ami what are we going to do about the pups?" And it was back.

"Honestly I don't know. I suggested to my mom that I take the kids away with us." His head shot up. "Relax. I would've found a way to take you with us. I'm not gonna take your kids from you Caesar." He relaxed.

"Good." He murmured.

"But she said no. It's not for lack of space or money. We have plenty of that now. It was because I think of them as my kids." Caesar was quiet as he thought.

"I can understand that. For your species you're just a pup. You shouldn't have any pups yourself. But you do have pups so they shouldn't be taken away from you."

"I agree. But try telling her that."

"Couldn't you go to one of your fathers?"

"Nope. Dad will just agree with her. Pops would agree with me but it'd be two against one." He sighed and snuggled closer to me.

"I can't take care of them all without your help."

"I know."

"… I think you should take a few of them with you." I shot up and he tumbled off me.

"What the hell Caesar?!" I shouted. "I'm not breaking you apart!"

"There's no way we win this Ami. Your parents don't see me or the pups as people. We're just animals to them even though they know we're sapient. If you show up at the house with just a few of the pups then they won't be able to refuse them. Set up an ultimatum." He stared me in the eyes with a fire that caught me off guard. "Say that you won't bring them back to the park, back to me. They've never been outside the park. They'll die in the streets without your guidance. Tell them that. It's easy to let someone die if you're not a direct part of it."

A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed. What he was saying made sense. It would work. They would literally have no choice but to let me take them with us. But what about the rest of them? And how many would I take with me?

"What'll happen to you and the ones that stay?" I asked. He looked down to the ground and his eyes widened. His nostrils flared and the fur along his spine rose.

"I… The park won't be able to support us without you here. You were my only source of food. Once you're gone we'll have to leave. And the city is way too dangerous for all of us." A nervous whine started to build in his throat and I pet his head.

"There's plenty of places you can go to. There's the plains to the south of the city remember? And there's the mountains to the far north. There's also the sea to the west. Lots of places where people don't go often." He rubbed his head against my neck.

"Why don't we just follow the road until we get to the stables?" He already knew the answer to that question.

"It's way too far Caesar. And you'd have to go through at least two unfamiliar cities. On top of getting lost do you honestly think the pound would let a pack of dogs run freely?" He butted his head against my chest with a whine.

"I know. I just thought that saying it would help somehow." His tail thumped the ground in a way I'd learned showed he was jokingly serious. "Damn your species ability to be everywhere." A huff of air left his snout before he stood and shook himself. He turned to me with sad eyes and his tail drooped low. "Well… Let's get this over with."

I nodded before standing myself, brushing the grass and burs from my jeans. The walk back to the den was quiet. We'd both said our pieces to each other so there was nothing more to say. The sunlight overhead only made my mood plunge further as the den came into view.

Leo's face peered out of the dark and she spotted us. A howl sounded as she called to her siblings and they all rushed out to meet us. Pawing at my ankles and Caesar's legs and chest they chattered excitedly.

"Mama mama! Where didja go? You missed the rest of nap time." Donovan barked up to me.

"Did you do anything fun?" Terral shouted as she weaved between my legs. I raised one up so I wouldn't step on her but she jumped up onto it. "Can we go next time?" I smiled painfully.

"Um…" My eyes flashed to Caesar but he was folding up the comforter, accompanied with his own entourage of excited kids. "No… It wasn't fun. But some of you have to come with me."

I managed to make my way to the side of the den and sat down. Most of the kids crowded around me and Caesar herded the two inside with him to my side. They quickly caught onto the somber mood and quieted down.

"Mom." Jess nudged my hand gently. "What's going on?" I felt my throat choke up.

"Well." I managed to get out. "You remember that I'm moving away." They seemed to shrink into themselves. Artus whined and I was petting his head before I realized it.

"Of course we remember! Stupid Baachan won't let us come with you!" Whistle growled out. I nodded my head.

"That's rig- Wait, Baachan? What the hell's a Baachan?" I turned to Caesar. He rolled his eyes fondly.

"Anne stole your phone about a month ago to show them all an anime called Naruto. Since then Whistle decided he wanted to learn Japanese. Baachan apparently means grandmother." He answered.

"Oh. Well anyway, Caesar may've found a way to let some of you come with." I ground out. My throat felt like it was gluing itself shut as their faces brightened. They began to dance around each other excitedly. Marcus however stayed still. His shoulder slumped and his small tail tucked between his legs.

"Not… Not a-all of us can come with you. Can we?" He stuttered. The others stopped their celebrating. Their eyes flashed from me to Marcus and back again. Tears filled my eyes and I found I couldn't speak anymore. I nodded.

"But! But mama why do only some of us get to go? Did we do something wrong?" Leo asked. Her brown eyes stared up at me. I picked her up and cradled her to my chest. The others crowded closer, letting out little yips of distress.

"I can only get grandma to let a few of you come. It's not your fault. None of you are at fault and don't you dare think otherwise." Tears flowed freely down my face and sobs shook my body. _Guess I won't be talking anymore._ Caesar stepped up and placed his paw on Donovan to comfort him.

"Do you think you can make three happen?" He asked me. A squeak left my mouth when I tried to speak so I nodded instead. I could get three to stay.

"Three of us are going? Which three are leaving?" Jess asked.

"We're leaving that for you all to decide." Caesar answered. The pups glanced at each other hesitantly. Quiet laid over us all like a hot iron. Marcus, who'd been quiet after he said his piece, spoke up again.

"Okay, so, if only three of us can go which traits should we look for?"

"What?" Donovan asked. He'd been caught off guard just as much as the rest of us.

"Mama needs us right? So w-which of us can best help her? And w-which ways?" Marcus explained. The others murmured quietly in understanding and Caesar chuckled lovingly. He caught my staring and held my gaze. 'They really love you.' He mouthed to me. I smiled and nodded. I could see that for myself.

"She needs someone to protect her from stupid Baachan!" Whistle barked out. Leo yipped out an agreement.

"That's true." Marcus agreed. "W-which of us is really strong?" Artus jumped up and around the group.

"I am I am I am I am I am! I'll go with Mama to keep grandma away!" Marcus nodded.

"That's g-good. You a-always were the best at wrestling." He seemed to think for a bit. "But y-you always get in trouble. You n-never think things through. We n-n-n-n-n-n…." Marcus's mouth remained open for several seconds and he eventually closed it.

"Take your time, go through your exercises." Caesar said gently. Marcus nodded quickly. His eyes closed and he moved his jaw and throat in every basic bark he knew. He'd been stuttering for about as long as he'd been alive. Since he couldn't buzz his lips I thought pronouncing basic words and sounds would help. It seemed to work okay for him.

"Someone s-s-s-s grrrr blah! Someone intelligent! To keep Artus back!" He said.

"Very good." I said. He nodded at me then turned serious again.

"So w-who will go?" He asked. Quiet settled again as they thought. Terral stood up with an exasperated sigh.

"I'll go." She turned to Artus. "Least I can do is keep you outta mom's hair." Artus deliberately stuck his tongue out as far as it would go.

"Whatever Terral." Marcus nodded and looked around the group.

"We still need one more." Every pup who hadn't decided glanced at each other. Leo stepped forward hesitantly.

"I'll go." Marcus nodded again.

"That settles it then." Caesar spoke up. We all turned to him. "The rest of you will be going with me to the plains. We can't stay here anymore." Leo, Terral, and Artus looked to me and I motioned to their siblings.

"Say goodbye. You probably won't see them again."

"Do you mean for the week?" Leo asked.

"Or the month?" Artus butt in. I shook my head and they seemed confused but Terral seemed to understand.

"I mean ever."

-Time Skip-

 **Anne's POV**

"AMRITA HAYWARD!" The jarring scream jerked me from sleep and I jumped. _What the hell?_ Screams and shouts were coming from the living room. I glanced over to the clock. _9:46 PM… Are they mad because she's back late?_ I shook the ringing out of my ears and set off to the door. A long rope hung from it that I could pull on to open it. _Usually they have no problem with that. They made sure she knows how to fight._ I emerged into the little hall that connected all the rooms in the house and let the building yawn tear from my mouth.

"What I'm doing is taking them inside." Amrita's voice was almost silent even to my ears. Worry built up in my chest but I pushed it down and turned to trot my way into the living room. I jumped up onto the couch, yawning again.

"What's going on? Why is everyone so loud?" The sight of Amrita with Terral, Leo, and Artus in her arms being stared down by her mother and one of her fathers was not was I was expecting. The pups' faces were scared, but hard. Amrita's was blank. Her parents however were angry and I found myself flinching away.

"You know very well what she means Amrita. Why did you bring those dogs here? You know we said no." Amrita seemed to gather her courage and glared at the two. I brought my ears to my head and began to shrink away. I didn't want to get in the middle of this. I'd found out early before they'd found me that a human's anger was just as big as everything else about them. Getting in the way would be a bad idea.

"'Those dogs.' That's a nice way to talk about your grandkids Dad. I'm actually kinda glad they can't understand you yet." Amrita spat.

"They are _dogs_ Amrita! They are not people!" He sighed tiredly.

"They're sapient! They're people damn it! And you know what?" Her eyes burrowed holes into them. "The fact that you're willing to let people die because you're 'worried about my behavior' really says a lot about both of you! What, you didn't think to try to talk to me about it instead of pulling this shit?"

"You will not talk to us that way! We are your parents and you will respect us." Her mother said firmly.

"Where's my respect? Where the hell is their respect?" Amrita motioned to the three in her arms. Artus growled and her mother's mouth opened to say something stinging but she was interrupted.

"Okay. That's enough!" Ziron shuffled out of the bedroom, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Out of everyone in the house he was the most level headed. A short breath of relief escaped me. Ziron was level headed, he could fix this. He yawned loudly after he got into the room and stretched his arms. Amrita looked relieved as well, but their parents looked rather annoyed.

"Go back to bed Ziron. I don't need help with this." Mother said. Ziron rolled his eyes.

"I'm not here to help you I'm here to help her." He yawned pointing lazily to Amrita. "Here's how it's gonna go. I'm going to drive Caesar and all the puppies to the new house regardless of what you say. You can't pull the 'my roof my rules' because I'm paying rent. It's my roof too. I'm also 18 so you can't order me around." The mother smirked.

"Ah, but I don't allow pets." She said smugly. Ziron raised his hand and pointed at me. Fear rushed through my veins when their eyes turned to me.

"Leave me out of this!" I shouted.

"Yes you do." Ziron retorted.

"You'll have to pay a deposit of a three hundred dollars for each dog." The father growled out.

"That's two thousand four hundred dollars." Ziron sniffed. "That's fine by me."

The two parents snarled. I could see mother looking through her mind for any solution that ended her way, but she gave up after a few seconds. The father sighed and headed off down the hallway.

"Come on Hun. There's nothing we can do." His voice, firm and exhausted before, was now soft, like he was comforting her. The mother opened her mouth to speak before closing it with a sigh. Her head turned to Amrita.

"You're grounded. I hope you know that." Amrita eyes widened before glowering at her.

"You're trying to punish me for saving lives… I can't believe I'm saying this, but you disgust me." The venom in her voice startled me making the fur at my neck bristle. I've never heard her that mad. My ears lowered to my head and I sat, curling my tail around my paws. Mother shook her head and went off to bed. The ensuing silence eased the tension that'd been weighing me down and I relaxed. Amrita put Artus, Terral, and Leo on the ground and got on her knees.

"We can stay then?" Terral asked. Amrita nodded and Artus yipped in excitement. "That's great!"

"But wait." Amrita said. "There's more. You're uncle Ziron is going to take all of us with him in his car. That means that your siblings and Caesar get to come too!" Artus and Leo jumped onto her in joy while Terral started howling.

They tackled Amrita to the ground, their little tails wagging. I smiled up to Ziron only to see him gazing down at the group with a fond smile. He caught my stare and smiled at me before going to the kitchen. The jangle of car keys made my ears raise. Apparently it caught Amrita's attention too because she shooed her kids off her.

"Well?" Ziron said after a pause, tossing the keys into the air and catching them. "I thought we were getting the rest of your kids." Amrita sobbed and Ziron opened his arms wide. "Come on, bring it in. I'm the best brother, I know."

I shook my head and opened the door instead of joining in on the group hug that was rapidly forming between Ziron and the rest of the group. The warm summer air rushed into the cool home and I breathed it in. Car exhaust, oil, and the heady scent of human. The familiar smell calmed my remaining nerves. _What in the world is her parent's problem?_ I just couldn't get it. Why did they hate Caesar so much? Well… I could understand why they hated Caesar. There were rules against what Caesar and Amrita wanted to do after all.

But the pups? How could anyone hate the pups? They were puppies! Didn't humans have some sort of instinctual affection for puppies? A nudge to my back pulled me from my thoughts and I realized I was in front of the door.

"Sorry." I murmured before I jumped onto the couch to get out of the way. A touch to my shoulder got my attention. Amrita raised an eyebrow in question and I shrugged.

"You're tense." She stated.

"You did just have a shouting match with your parents. Of course I'm tense." I said sarcastically. She shrugged as if to say 'what can you do?' "But that's not the reason I'm tense."

"No?" She questioned. Ziron moved past her and the pups followed close behind.

"We'll be in the car!" He called back.

"No. Something doesn't add up. I mean, they were way too insistent on this." I said. Amrita glowered at the door her parents had gone into and snorted angrily.

"Well, whatever their reasons it doesn't matter. It was the wrong thing to do. And anyway it doesn't matter because Caesar and my kids are coming with us." She walked out the door, shutting it behind her. My ear flicked and I sighed. Grabbing the remote control I turned the TV on. The behavior of the parents nagged at me but I pushed it away, changing the channel to a documentary about the ocean.

"Haven't even started moving boxes and everyone's stressed."

-Time Skip-

 **Third Person**

A moving car's door was closed and latched shut. Two cars, a minivan and a truck, held several boxes. Three people, a girl, a man, and a woman sat in the minivan. The girl, Georgette, sat in the back seat sulking. Her arms crossed over her chest and she glared out the window at nothing in particular. The two adults, a mother and father, waited for the rest of the family to get done so they could leave. The mother clenched the steering wheel in her hands tightly, her hands shaking with the force of her grip.

In the truck a young man, Ziron, relaxed. A 3DS played the Pokémon Black theme as he started the device up. In the truck bed a Rottweiler sat looking over the street and houses. A startled yip caught his attention and he turned to the sound. Seeing that nothing was wrong he turned back and laid down in the truck bed, slipping off to sleep.

By the tiny home Amrita said goodbye to a group of boys and girls. Seven puppies sat by her side or played nearby, a different colored collar on each of their necks. An older man stood beside her, a black man that looked like he was in his early forties. He ruffled her hair before going to the minivan.

Knocking on the closed window, the mother shifted her eyes to him before rolling it down. He laid his arms over the edge of the car and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. She rolled her eyes, but a smile pulled at her lips.

"So." He began. "You wanna tell me why you're so stressed?" The mother laughed before starring forward.

"When I saw you I thought you wanted to argue about the dogs." She said shakily. The man brushed her cheek with his fingers before pulling back.

"Oh I do, but something's bugging you enough to make you want to break the steering wheel and that's more important." The mother swallowed nervously and stared the man in the eyes. Her breathing was getting labored.

"Something is… something is going to happen and I don't know what it is. I just know that it's big, dangerous, and it involves those damn dogs." She forced out. "I don't want them around you, or me, or anyone in the family. I especially don't want them around Amrita, because she's in the middle of it all." Her head whipped to the front glass of the car.

"Have you looked?" The father asked. The mother shook her head. Flashes of light and color zipped across her vision. The taste of city smog felt heavy on her tongue. It wouldn't go away no matter what she did.

"I don't have enough info. If I looked there'd be too many options and I'd go into sensory overload. All I get is city lights and smog."

"Then there's no need to worry about it. We're moving into the country side. No city lights there." The man laughed. The mother's eyes pierced his and his smile fell away.

"Honey I know you're trying to calm me down but be serious. Your daughter is in danger and it involves a dog who wants to screw her. My visions have never been wrong before. They're not gonna start now." The second father's eyes narrowed.

"I know. Look, the transfer I got still has me working days. I can't stick by her. Neither can you two. Whatever's happening, or going to happen in this instance, you have to let her deal with it."

Across the street, hidden by some trees, Theo relaxed. His back laid against one of the trees with his eyes closed. Cars honked behind him and the chatter of his family kept him from falling asleep in the midday sun. A smile suddenly pulled on his lips and he spoke.

"I'm glad you could make it Moses." His eyes opened and a boy stood in front of him. The boys clothes were old fashioned, a pair of wool pants held up by thin rope and a hemp shirt. There were deep bags under his eyes, contrasting sharply with his white skin. Moses smiled, his black eyes crinkling at the edges. He sat beside Theo, frost forming on the tree, and spoke, but no sound came out.

"Well you're as cold as always. Figuratively and literally." The ghost spoke again, dramatically rolling his shoulders. Theo took a second to realize what he said before chuckles slowly built up. He tried to hold back his laughs but they burst out anyway.

"That's a horrible thing to say!" He wheezed out. "Why would you talk about your own death like that? You were pushed into a river that's not funny!"

The ghost rolled his eyes fondly. He patted Theo on the shoulder a couple of times before pulling away, his face darkening. His words held the edge of teeth as he questioned his friend. Theo stopped laughing and slowly turned to Moses.

"What the hell-

The boy flinched.

"Sorry. What gave you that idea?" Moses spoke again, his face twisting into mock innocence as he gestured to the house and the boxes in the cars. Theo opened his mouth to offer an equally stinging response but Moses slammed his back into the tree, holding his shoulders down. His face had begun to form ice crystals and his eyes shined black. He spoke again, lips forming murmurs. Theo shivered, turning his head to the side.

"I know I am." A smirk formed as Moses lowered his mouth to Theo's neck but hesitated before he could reach the brown skin.

"Still haunting you?" Theo asked, half serious. Moses reeled back, staring Theo dead in the eyes before standing up and walking away, his hands held up as if personally insulted. Theo jumped up and followed him, small chuckles escaping his lips.

"Oh come on. That one was good! That was a good pun!" Moses shook his head, silent words ringing in Theo's ears and no one else's. Theo listened as Moses ranted at him, waiting patiently as his gestures became wide and violent. Eventually the boy grew still again.

Where anyone else would've been panting from the lack of breath Moses stood silent. He stood like a statue, lifeless and cold. Theo sighed, undisturbed by the behavior and hugged him. Arms quickly wrapped back around the other.

"Can't believe you thought I was leaving you." Moses murmured something into Theo's neck.

"Yes I know you're stuck here." Moses pulled back and raised a single thin eyebrow.

"Well I was actually thinking of letting you possess me until we get to the new house." Moses's stared hard into Theo's eyes as his eyes darkened again. Frost ran down his arms onto Theo's. Theo nodded his head and Moses surged forward. He disappeared and Theo's skin began to grow bright with cold.

He brought his arms together and rubbed his fingers. Shivers wracked his body. His teeth began to chatter, but he smiled.

"T-t-there! Now y-you can c-come with me!" A hard shudder made him curl up tight.

"C-c-calm down. My b-body temp is getting a bit low." A small amount of color returned to his skin and he turned to the street. A call sounded out and he smiled. Hurrying to the road he spoke.

"N-now let's get going. Oh my god you're so cold!"

 **AN: Apparently I lied. The lake will be next chapter. We won't be getting to the clans for a while though. I think. It may be next chapter, or the one after that. I had a lot of trouble with this one so tell me what you all think. Anyway, the reason you can't 'hear' Moses is because the dead don't speak. Theo can because that's his psychic power, among other things. And tell me what you thought about Marcus. I gave him a stutter but don't have one myself. How he stuttered is based on what I researched.**


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